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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Someone Turn On The Light–Part 2

Mat 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

If you missed the first installment, click here for part one. Now, lets look at the second reason why we should “turn on the light.”

THE CALL OF DARKNESS

The call of darkness is so great, the first place we need to shine is in the Sanctuary. People who come into our churches need to see light. They are looking for answers, and our churches, which are, “the pillar and ground of truth,” should have those answers. As a pastor and teacher, it is my responsibility to teach and preach the truth of God’s Word and shine the light that they need.

But, the responsibility does not stop there. It is everyone’s job to shine your light inside the church so that others may see God in you. No one wants to enter a cold, dark church. They came from that, they want to see and experience something different. Often times, the problem is not that Christians don’t want new people to come and join their church. They are just too afraid to step out of their shell and get to know people. It should be all of our goals to be friendly,outgoing, and compassionate to visitors in our churches. GET OVER YOUR FEAR & GET INVOLVED IN PEOPLE’S LIVES!

Another great way you shine your light in the sanctuary is by using your talents for the Lord in the Lord’s work.Whether it is singing in the Choir, working with babies and children, greeting people and helping them find their place,etc., there is something all of us can do in order to shine our light in the sanctuary. One place people ought to see our good works and glorify God is in the sanctuary.

Another place we need to shine our light is in the Streets. Someone once said, “The darker the night, the brighter the light shines.” This world is a very dark place. I remember as a kid going to Carlsbad Caverns with my family. I don’t remember much, but I do remember the tour guide turning off walkway lights as we got near the bottom of the tour. It was so dark, not only could you not see anything, but you could literally feel the chill of the darkness.

A little light makes a big difference in the dark. Gracie, my 5 year old, cannot go to sleep at night without some sort of little light. There are flashlights and toy lamps all around her room. Whichever light she chooses (or, which ever one has enough battery juice to work!), makes a big difference to her. Her little light penetrates the darkness around her to give her safety and comfort.

We shine our light in this dark world by witnessing and soul winning. There are a lot of different methods and means by which to do this – the key is just to do it! Many Christians do what they can to speak to people they have never met to tell them about the Lord. But don’t go so far out of your way to talk to those you have never met that you forget to witness to those God brings into your life/path.

If you have ever spent any time trying to tell people about Jesus Christ, especially in a strong Catholic area like Metro Detroit, you might ask yourself the question, “Why is it that so many are opposed to hearing the Gospel today?”

We must remember that when you are used to the dark, your eyes hurt to just a small amount of light. How shocking is it to your eyes every night when you turn on the bathroom light after they have adapted to the pitch black of darkness? There is no difference, spiritually speaking, when we shine the light of the Gospel in dark places.Just keep shining the light of the gospel, and there will be those who respond. We have a responsibility to be a lighthouse of God’s grace and mercy to those who travel our way and warn them of the danger to come.